


Twin Flames

by Titti



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Challenge Response, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-06-17
Updated: 2008-06-17
Packaged: 2017-11-28 10:55:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/673609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Titti/pseuds/Titti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam had never thought about soul binding as a way to save Dean, but once he does, he needs the help of a few people. Bobby and Ruby provide the spells, and even Bela is enlisted to help when stealing a statue needed for the ritual. However, if he thought that was the hard part, he was wrong.</p><p>Living with the consequences means that Dean finds out that Sam's fucking Ruby, sharing his every feeling with his brother and finally learning that what he always wanted was Dean. When things finally seemed clear, we finally find out Ruby's agenda was to get them together all along since they are twin flames.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Twin Flames

**Author's Note:**

> Written for spn_j2_bigbang 2008 on LJ. Artwork

Sometimes solutions came out of the blue. Sam knew that, because he had spent the past nine months trying to get Dean out of the deal, but he had found nothing. Ruby had strung him along for a while, but the closer they got, the clearer it became that she had nothing. To be honest, he'd suspected all along, but he needed to believe in something, and Ruby had provided that something for a while, but the closer they got the more desperate he got.

Dean had decided that he wanted to live, but both of them were resigned to the fact that it wouldn’t happen, until a solution practically fell on Sam's lap. He’d been googling souls when he found stories (and what the fuck was fanfiction?) talking about souls being bonded, and Sam didn't care about the stories, but the concept? That intrigued him, because it might be crazy enough to work if it could be done. Sam closed the laptop and grabbed his cell.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked from the couch, where he was currently sitting with part of their arsenal resting on the coffee table, waiting to be cleaned. Dean was doing more and more of that, and Sam knew that he was making sure that everything was A-okay for when he died, but Sam couldn't be happy about it.

Sam shook his head. "Nothing is wrong. I have an idea."

That shut Dean up faster than anything Sam had ever tried in the past, but after a few moments, he cleared his throat. "I can't help."

"I know." Sam gave him a bright smile. "You couldn't have, even if- you know, even if you could have. I need Bobby for this. Give me a few moments, okay?" He didn't wait for an answer, but instead, he opened the front door as he used his speed dial to reach Bobby. 

"What's wrong?" came the reply as Bobby answered the phone.

"Hey, Bobby." He made sure that he closed the door behind him as he spoke, even if he could see Dean watching him through the window. "Nothing's wrong, but I had an idea. Bear with me, okay?"

"That means that it's a crazy idea," Bobby answered calmly.

Sam laughed, because it was crazy, even he knew that, but he loved that Bobby could go along when his own father probably would have been yelling at him over the phone. "Only something crazy will work," he said after a moment.

There was a sigh on the other side of the connection. "I'm not saying that I agree, yet, but you might be right."

"I am," Sam said, resigned. "I was thinking--" What was he thinking? The idea had just popped into his mind, and he hadn't even researched it yet, but it made some sense. "A soul bonding."

There was another silence. "You'll need consent," Bobby finally said.

"Do I?" Sam wasn't stopped so easily. "There has to be some way to do it without conscious consent. I mean those women – those housewife witches - we met- they didn't know they were giving their souls up, but it was considered consent anyway. We need something that doesn't require a conscious decision from Dean. We can't risk it."

"Son, even if we can find it, if you do this without your brother's knowledge, he's going to hate you," Bobby said softly.

A smile spread on Sam's face. "No, he won't. He'll understand. Besides, he sold his soul for me; this is only a shift in property. Better me than a demon."

"If you say so," Bobby answered, without sounding very convinced. "I'll have to look it up and see what I can find. I'll call you soon."

"Yeah, okay, I'll do my own looking. Thanks, Bobby." Sam closed the connection and went back inside, and Dean was still sitting on the couch, cleaning weapons that didn't need cleaning anymore.

"Everything okay?" he asked, guarded.

Sam nodded, a smile forming. "I think it will be."

Dean stared for a moment, and then smiled, before looking down, the smile still on his face. Sam wouldn't let him down; they both knew that. They both needed to believe it.

***

Dean knew that he couldn't ask questions. Sam would say what he could share and avoid the rest. However, Dean was not stupid, and he'd spent his life paying attention to people's body language. In fact, he'd spent his life knowing what was going with Sam, and even without talking to his brother, Dean knew that a) Sam was messing around with something powerful and b) he was fucking Ruby. Strangely the latter upset him more than the former.

He didn't say anything, though, because Sam would deny it, but he was Sam's big brother, and it was his job to protect Sam, even from himself at times. He wouldn't stop, not until he was dead, regardless of when that would happen. So when the opportunity presented itself, Dean couldn't let it go.

It started with a simple statement. "I'm going out," Sam said, grabbing his jacked.

Dean looked up from the TV. "Car keys are in my jacket," he answered. As much as he hated the idea of relinquishing his baby, it was easier this way. If Sam fucked her up, at least he was still around to show his brother how to fix her. In case, Sam couldn't— He shook the thought away, when Sam started to talk again.

"Nah, you'll need the car if you're going to the bar. See you later." Sam smiled, and then walked outside.

Dean got up and grabbed his jacket. He watched Sam through the gap between the curtains; he wasn't surprised to see Ruby behind the wheel of a Range Rover. She opened the passenger door from inside, although Dean didn't really see her move, and Sam got in without a word.

Dean waited until they were out of the parking lot before running to the Impala and following them from a distance. Thankfully, there weren't many expensive foreign cars in the middle of nowhere, Oklahoma and the track marks on the deserted road made it easy. He saw the Range Rover stop from a distance. He drove a little closer and then found an empty field to park the Impala and walked closer.

The sun was low in the West, and the moon, full and round, was already visible. It was a blessing and a curse. Dean knew that they could see him just as well as he could see them if he weren't careful. He found a hill above where they were and lay on his stomach, getting a perfect view of Sam and Ruby.

He stayed there, watching them, and it was almost like a scene from High Noon, except the moon was out instead of the sun. So okay, there were no guns either, and Ruby looked nothing like a cowboy in a Western, but they were standing there, waiting and staring at each other. Suddenly, a huge rock propelled itself, moving in Sam's direction. Dean was ready to get up when the rock stopped a few inches from his brother, hovering in the air while Sam stared at it.

"Too slow," Ruby said, her voice tense. "Push it my way. Come on, Sam, you know you want to hit me," she taunted.

Sam smirked, but didn't answer. The rock moved, slowly at first, and then sped up. Ruby smiled, unconcerned, and when it came too close, it exploded in a thousand of pieces, every single one avoiding her face.

"Try doing that," she said.

Sam snorted. "Are you going to explain the cuts to Dean?"

"There won't be any cuts if you concentrate. You have the power; you need to believe in it." Another rock flew in Sam's direction. No warning, no explanation. It moved full speed, making Dean want to kill the bitch, but the rock stopped and then exploded much like the first had done.

Dean thought Ruby had regained some sense when she laughed. "See? I told you that you could do it."

"You're a liar," Sam answered, calmly.

"Yes," she answered unabashed, "but I didn't lie about this. You have the power. Now concentrate. You want to save Dean, right?" 

Dean curled his fingers into tight fists, nails digging into his palm. The bitch was lying through her teeth. She had told him there was nothing to be done. While he understood what she was doing, and deep down even agreed with her because, Sam would need all the power possible, it didn't mean that he wanted a demon to lie to Sam. Maybe it was time to share that piece of information with his baby brother. 

Sam, however, didn't seem to question her claim. Instead, he got that intense look he got when something was really important and before following Ruby's directions.

Dean watched them for over an hour as they threw things at each other, made rocks fly and explode. He felt a small sense of satisfaction when Sam threw Ruby against a tree. Fucking slammed her. With his mind. And that was so fucking cool that Dean almost wanted Sam's powers. He mentally smacked himself for that and focused on the scene in front of him, and he looked up just to see Ruby lick her lips, smirking at Sam.

"You should have just asked," she purred.

"It's more fun this way," Sam answered, and whoa, Dean had _never_ heard Sam talk like that, because right now, his little nerdy brother was Mr. Sexy, and any woman would have spread her legs for him Unfortunately that included Ruby, who seemed to know a little too much about Sam.

"Nice fantasies, Sammy boy. And people think Dean's the pervy one," she said in flirtatious tone.

That was when it hit him. They weren't just moving things around with their minds. They were mentally communicating, and that reached a new level of fucked up even for them, because sharing thoughts with demons was not normal under any definition.

When he thought that things couldn't get more screwed up, Sam moved closer. They were hugging, or more accurately, they were clawing at each other's clothes, like they couldn't wait one more second. Her shirt was ripped apart by fingers and minds. The rest of their clothes suffered the same fate. Sam grabbed her hips and Ruby wrapped her legs around him.

Dean was a brave man who spent his life saving strangers from evil things, but he wasn't this brave. He couldn't stay here and watch. Instead he walked – because Dean Winchester didn't run – as fast as he could. Watching Sam using super powers to have super sex with a demon was put on the list of 'things I don't want to do before I die'.

***

Sam returned to the hotel thirty minutes after Dean had retreated to the safety of their room with a newly bought case of beer. For a while, Dean had pretended that Sam was really his little brother, nerdy and cute, and who didn't have strange powers that made sex ooze from his every pore, because everyone knew that Sam was close to being a monk, and he certainly did _not_ fuck demons. Of course, his denial was shattered when Sam walked in, clothes tattered and ripped and reeking of sex.

"I thought you were going to the bar," Sam said, taking his jacket off and sitting on the other end of the couch, looking comfortable, even though he looked like he'd just had a fight with a werewolf, or at least his clothes did.

"Yeah, I know, I changed my mind," Dean replied, trying to sound nonchalant about it.

Sam nodded, looking down at his hands, before turning his head to look at Dean. "Are you ever going to tell me the truth?"

"What?" Dean blurted out, annoyed. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Sam didn't get to feel hurt and self-righteous when he was spending his life keeping secrets from Dean.

"I mean you changed your mind? You've been fucking everything on two legs, drinking any time we don't hunt, trying to hassle as much money as humanly possible, and suddenly you changed your mind?" Sam snorted. "Even if I didn't know you as well as I do, I wouldn't believe it."

Dean shook his head. "Unbelievable. You're fucking unbelievable, do you know that? You're sitting here and have the balls to preach to me, because I keep things from you." He laughed mirthlessly. "That's just fucking great, Sammy. Do you know why? Because you're the one who's always keeping secrets."

"I can't tell you. You know that," Sam answered.

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Really? Is that what you tell yourself at night? Because I can tell you a very different story. I didn't know about Stanford until you were ready to leave. I don't know what the hell happened with the Trickster--"

"I told you."

"The fuck you did, Sammy. You gave me the annotated version. You thinking I don't see the scars that weren't there the day before, the knowledge that can't be explained with an internet search, the things you can do that you couldn't before." He snorted. "You've been lying to me this entire time, and I've pretended not to see these things. You don't get to turn around and accuse me of lying when I'm not doing anything as bad as you."

"You followed me tonight," Sam said in a calm voice. "There was no reason for it. You could have asked."

"Right, because you're so forthcoming. There was no reason for you not to tell me about Lilith or anything that doesn't have to do with my deal, but you keep everything a secret." Dean ran his fingers through his hair. He didn't like to be the one to lose his calm and rant; that was Sam's job. He took a deep breath and started again. "I only have two months, Sammy, and we're both doing what we have to, to survive, can we not argue about it?" He knew he had scored a point when Sam didn't even try to say that he would save Dean. However, if he thought the discussion was over, he was wrong.

"I saw you die," Sam said quietly.

"I know. One hundred Tuesdays; you told me." He felt bad for his brother; he really did, but the selfish part of him was happy that it hadn't been him, because he'd never survive watching Sam die, not twice, let alone a hundred times.

"And one Wednesday," Sam said, interrupting Dean's thoughts. "I waited for you to be alive again, for things to start again, but they didn't. You stayed dead for over six months, _six fucking months_ , Dean, and those are the scars you see. The result of you not being there and me turning into Dad, but with the freakish powers, and people… people and demons were afraid of me."

It was Sam's turn to brush his hair with his fingers, stalling for time. "I tried talking to Missouri, but she couldn't look me in the eyes, wouldn't le me inside her house. Only Bobby was willing to help, and I love him like family, but he reminded me of you, so I barely called him. That left Ruby. She was there, she's been there for months, Dean. That's why I trust her as much as I do." He shifted on the couch, leaning over to put a hand on Dean's thigh. "It's not going to happen again. I won't let it, but that means I need to do things my way. I'll be fine; you don't need to follow me," he said in a quieter tone.

Dean gave him a half-smile. "You mean you don't need me anymore."

"I'm saying that I _know_ for a fact that I need you, but I don't need you to protect me," Sam clarified. "I need you to be my brother, my friend, the one who stops me from turning into Dad or something worse."

Dean stretched his arm, his hand landing on Sam's shoulder. He wished that he could promise that he'd take care of Sam forever, but he wouldn't lie, not when they didn't know if he'd survive. "As long as I'm alive, I'll be anything you want and need."

"You always have, Dean." Sam cracked a smile. "Even though you've always been a pain in the ass about it." That was followed by a big bright smile.

Dean snorted. "You're such a weirdo."

"Jerk."

"Bitch," Dean answered without thinking about it. "Are we done with the talking? Can we get some food now?"

"God, yes, I'm starving." Sam stood up, grabbing his jacket.

Dean stood up after him and put a hand on Sam's chest, frowning. "How did you know I was there?"

"Ruby. She's more powerful; she knew you were there. She knew when you left." The little smirk on Sam's face wasn't encouraging and Dean didn't want to question it. "She told me when she dropped me off."

Dean thought about pressing, but he decided that he really didn't want to know about Ruby. "Yeah, okay, let's get some food… after you change your clothes, and next time, tell her not to claw on your clothes. You ain't got money to waste."

That earned him a full blush. Yeah, he was still the big brother here.

***

There was a sudden knock on the door. They weren't expecting any visitors and the 'Do Not Disturb' sign had been there since they had arrived three days ago, keeping the maid out of the room.

Dean was up in an instant, reaching for his gun and looked back at Sam raising his brows when he saw that Sam wasn't moving.

Sam got up and reached for his own gun. It was easier to go along with Dean than explaining that he wasn't sensing any ill intent from whoever was at the door. That would require explaining just how much he was learning from Ruby and what his mind could do now. No, getting up was much easier.

Satisfied, Dean looked through the peephole, before opening the door. He relaxed at the sight of Bobby. "What are you doing here?" he asked surprised, before tensing again.

Sam saw Dean's fingers tighten around his gun, and from Bobby's face, the man had noticed, too, although he wasn't saying anything. "It's really Bobby, Dean. Let him in." That earned him two curious stares, but Sam shrugged it off. "It's really him; I know," he told Dean, and that seemed to do the trick, because Dean stepped aside.

Bobby looked at Dean and then walked in. "You need to see this, Sam," he said, laying a book on the table and opening it.

"Dean--"

Dean grabbed the keys of the Impala before Sam could finish. "I'll go grab dinner. Burgers okay, Bobby?"

Bobby nodded. "It's fine, son. As long as it comes with a beer, I'm fine."

Dean grinned. "I know what you mean. Okay, I'll be back in a bit." He stared at Sam for a few seconds, and then stepped out.

Sam turned toward the table, bending to look at the book at the same time as Bobby. "What am I looking at?"

"The statue you'll need to do this bonding of yours," Bobby answered, flipping through the pages until he found what he was looking for. "It's native American, and it's in a museum in new Mexico. Tight security. You can't do it by yourself."

Sam took a good look at the statue. It was small, made of wood, nothing really special about it, but if Bobby said it'd work, then he'd have to find someone who wasn't Dean to help him steal it. "You didn't come here just to show me a picture," he said after a moment.

"Are you sure it's what you want to do, son," Bobby asked.

"Is it going to save Dean?"

Bobby nodded. "There's a catch, though."

Sam laughed. "There always is, Bobby. There always is."

"I looked, Sam, but everything requires Dean's consent--"

"We can't do that," Sam cut in.

"I know, and that's a catch of its own. Dean isn't going to be happy when he finds out what you did," Bobby pointed out.

"He sold his soul and got only one year to live in return. He doesn't get to bitch," Sam answered. "So what's the other catch?"

"You die; he dies. No way around it. You own his soul _as long as you're alive_. The moment you die, his soul is fair game." Bobby sighed. "It's not perfect, but it's the only thing we've got and with time, maybe we can find something else, something more permanent, but this will keep him alive." 

He pointed to the book again. "This is what got me started; it mentions how it was used to keep people together, people who didn't necessarily want to be together, and then I did some research." He took a piece of paper from the pocket of his jacket and unfolded it. "The ceremony is simple, but we'll need blood from you and Dean, and we need to do it without Dean knowing."

Sam thought about it. He could use his powers or ask Ruby, but he wasn't sure he could keep Dean unconscious with his mind, and he didn't want to involve Ruby in this. "How did the Native American do it? You said people who didn't want to be together."

Bobby grinned. "Good old fashioned drugs."

"Then we get him high," Sam answered. "Or drunk, probably easier."

"His father's son," Bobby said with a snort. "Anyway, here's the spell," he said, handing the paper to Sam. "You'll need to put the blood in the statue's hand and follow the instructions I wrote down." 

"Any other side affects, anything's going to change?" Not that it'd made a difference. It was the only way to keep Dean alive, and he'd live with the consequences.

"That's catch number three: I don't know. There are mentions of people being more aware of each other, of animosities disappearing. The spell was mostly used when children of leaders of different tribes were married to keep peace, but not only then. There will be changes." He looked up at Sam and shook his head. "I don't know what they'll be. Are you sure you want to do it?" he asked again.

"Yeah, I'm still sure, Bobby. He'll be alive. We'll deal with the consequences later."

"Just as bad as your brother," Bobby said affectionately.

"I'm not planning on dying any time soon," Sam answered with a smile.

"There is that," Bobby answered. Before he could say more, Dean arrived with food and drinks. It was time to pretend that nothing had changed.

***

"Why are we in New Mexico again?" Dean asked as he cleaned his gun, even though there was no reason for it. As far as he could see there was no case, nothing to hunt and nothing to shoot, which at the moment would have helped immensely.

"I need something," Sam said, never looking up from the laptop.

"Something like? Food, booze, women, we can get all of them in Vegas if you're looking for a good time," Dean said, grinning at the idea.

"No, something like an ugly, wooden statue," Sam answered without paying attention, but finally raised his head and his eyes locked with Dean's. "Something that you can't help me get, something that I need to steal, something that will help me save you, therefore something you can't be a part of. Instead, you get to go to a bar, drink, play pool, and fuck any woman you can find, possibly one without a large boyfriend or husband, while I go steal this thing from a museum."

Dean snorted. "You remember the last time we were in a museum, right? Didn't go so well."

"I don't plan to get caught this time." Sam didn't point out that last time, the entire plan had depended on them getting arrested, and they had made sure to trigger each and every alarms.

There was a knock on the door, but Dean was getting used to it, and he looked up at Sam. "Are you gonna get that?"

Sam debated with himself for a while, and then got up. He opened the door without even checking who it was. "Hey," he greeted the new arrival before closing the door behind her.

"Hey, yourself." Ruby winked at him and stepped inside. "Dean, I see you're still fondling phallic objects. You really should try a different hobby… or find a willing woman" Sam ducked his head, trying to hide the snort. 

"I'm going to kill her," Dean said, still cleaning his gun. "So she's backup?"

"Nah," Ruby answered with a grin. "I'm insurance. The bitch is backup. When is she getting here?"

"She should be here soon if she knows what's good for her," Sam answered.

Dean watched as Sam and Ruby looked at each other, like they were talking, or maybe they shared so much information that they already knew what the other thought without the help of the mental powers. "Does this bitch have a name?" It suddenly dawned on him who she was. "You've got to be shitting me. Sammy, are you nuts?"

"That's exactly what I said," Ruby said smugly. "We could have just gone in there and gotten that damn thing."

"We aren't going to go in there and kill everyone in sight," Sam answered, calmly. It was obvious that this wasn't the first time they'd had this discussion; just like it was obvious that Sam wasn't worried that Ruby was going to disagree with him.

Ruby tensed and nodded to the door. "She's here."

"Let her in."

Dean watched and hated every moment of it. Sam and Ruby worked well together, too well. He should be happy that Sam would have someone to watch his back if this didn't work. Instead, he wanted to kill Ruby. Painfully. Of course, his anger was easily redirected the moment Bela stepped inside, full of confidence and smugness. "Can I kill her instead?" he asked, looking at Sam from the corner of his eyes.

Sam snorted. "Sorry, Dean, no killing today." He turned to Bela. "Do you have what we need?"

"Of course," she answered, moving through the room like she owned it. 

Dean didn't miss the fact that Ruby stayed against the wall, watching Bela like a hawk, while Sam barely looked at Bela. He was willing to bet the Impala that they had planned it that way.

Bela opened the cardboard tube she was holding and pulled out a scroll. "Blueprints of the museum and the alarm system, just like you asked."

"What else they've got?" Sam asked as he flattened the scroll and looked at the schematics.

"Close-circuit cameras, plus there are guards making rounds every thirty minutes." She shook her head. "As much as I'd love to help-"

"Why?" Dean interrupted. "What do you get?"

She looked at Dean first, and then at Sam, smiling. "Keeping secrets?"

"It wasn't important," Sam answered off-hand. "She gets the statue after I'm done with it."

"What if she gets it before you're done with it?" Dean pointed out. "It's not the first time, remember Massachusetts? We've even saved her ass."

She flashed a smile, all teeth and bad intentions. "Sammy has no choice. He'll just have to trust me and if he behaves-" Before she could finish, she was thrown across the room by an invisible force and pinned to the wall. There was fear in her eyes, but she covered it well. "Tell your pet demon to stop."

Ruby sat on the desk and shrugged. "I'm not doing anything." She looked at Sam, all wide eyes. "I think she wants you to put her down."

Sam ignored her, just like he ignored Dean's looks; he even ignored Bela's request. His eyes were hazel and human, but there wasn't even a hint of human emotions as he stepped closer. "If you so much think about double crossing me, and I mean _think_ , I will make sure you die."

Bela rolled her eyes, and Dean didn't think she was _this_ stupid, because Sam meant business. "You wouldn't kill me. You're one of the good guys."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "I never said that _I_ would kill you, but after I'm done mentioning how you're working to help demons take over--"

"But I'm not," Bela said outraged.

"And I care… why exactly? Anyway, as I was saying, you'll have every hunter in this country gunning down for you," Sam finished with a pleasant smile.

"And if his words don't convince them, I can make sure they believe it," Ruby added, as if they were discussing a trip to the ice cream store.

"See, I won't have to do much." Sam turned around, and went back to the table, ignoring Bela as she fell to the ground. "So how do we do this?"

Bela got up and dusted her jeans. "I told you that it can't be done."

"What kind of alarm system?" Ruby asked as she reached Sam, her entire body pressed against Sam's side.

Bela rolled her eyes. "You can't punch the system," she answered cheekily.

Ruby glared at Bela, her entire body ready to move, but before doing anything, she looked up at Sam. She clenched her teeth, and this time Dean had no doubt that they were communicating.

"What kind of system?" Sam repeated, blankly, while his eyes stayed on the blueprints.

"Heat activated, tight layout. I can't walk in between the rays. It would have to be deactivated, but it's too complex to do it in the time we have," Bela said, acting professionally all of a sudden.

"I'll take care of the alarm; you deal with the cameras," Ruby said, looking up at Sam.

For the first time since Bela had arrived, he turned and looked at Ruby, truly looked at her. The others might not have noticed, but Dean knew the difference. "I don't know," he said.

Ruby nodded. "You can do it. You'll have to freeze the images the cameras see when we get there. You're going to be fine. I'll cut off the alarm, she goes in and we do this without hurting anyone and without leaving any clues, just like you want."

The urge to kill suddenly shifted again, because Ruby was using the same tone Dean had perfected through the years, the one that gave Sam the confidence to do what he was capable of. The one that she had no right to use. Ever. Especially since after a moment, Sam nodded. "All right. We do it tomorrow night."

"Does that mean that I can go now?" Bela asked, trying to sound annoyed, but Dean thought she sounded afraid and eager to get out of there. She wasn't even questioning the plan in the rush of getting out.

"Yeah, tomorrow, nine o'clock. We'll meet here," Sam answered.

"Well, ta ta, boys," she said, before leaving.

"Can we kill her afterwards?" Dean and Ruby asked in unison, and Sam could only laugh at them. 

"It's a good idea," Ruby said, and unlike Dean, she was not joking.

"We're not killing her. We might need her again," Sam said, smiling, and then looked at Dean. "So, I need—"

"Yeah, go, train, I'll have dinner here for when you come back," he said, because he'd learned that Sam came back exhausted, even when he didn't smell of sex. A meal and a shower were usually followed by a good twelve hours of sleep, something that Sam had never done.

"Thanks. See you later," Sam said, still smiling, much brighter now, and as he looked at his brother follow Ruby outside, full of optimism, Dean could really believe that Sam would find a way.

***

The next night, they waited until the sky had turned dark before they set out for the museum. Bela was dressed for the part, all in black spandex. Sam had pointed out that it was the easiest way to attract attention in New Mexico. She had ignored him, and got into her car.

Sam got into Ruby's Jeep. He lowered the window glass, and propped his elbow there, watching outside. "It's cloudy."

"Yeah, no moon or stars. Now if you closed the window, no one would see your face," Ruby pointed out as she drove toward the museum. "And there is A/C here, not like in that crap your brother drives.

Sam turned his head to look at her and smiled. "I guess, but Dean would have a heart attack if he heard you." However, he pushed the tinted glass up

Ruby snorted. "Dean has a heart attack at the drop of a hat. The boy needs to calm down or he'll die regardless of what you do. Stress is so terrible, especially with the way he eats."

"I'll make sure to let him know that you don't approve of his diet," Sam answered, his eyes going from Ruby's face to the side mirror. "Is he following us?"

"You can bet everything you own on that one," Ruby answered. "So… does he know what you're planning to do?"

Sam shook his head. "He can't. I don't know what counts as help, and I won't take the risk." He watched her nod, before adding. "I didn't tell you either."

Ruby laughed. "Oh Sam, when will you learn? You aren't the only one who can do research. There are other people who can use a computer and a library, and some of us have been witches for a very long time. The moment you told me about the statue I started researching, and you still let slip too much. We'll have to work on that."

"Yeah, that's good." Sam wasn't really interested right now about demons and wars, though. He wanted to save Dean; the rest could wait until much later. He saw Ruby watch him. "What now?"

"Did you research the effects? Oh wait, silly me. Of course, you didn't. Save Dean, check. Get statue, check. Convince Lilith that the contract is null and void, check… although that's not as much of a check as you think," Ruby said. "Prepare for the consequences… oh, you forgot that check."

"But you did," Sam said, knowing the moment the words were out that it was true. Ruby really was his fallen angel. He still wasn't sure what her agenda was, but again, that was a problem for later. If she wanted to take over hell, or whatever, he wouldn't care as long as earth was safe. "So what am I facing?"

"Nothing that's going to ruin your chance to win the war--"

"Or you wouldn't be here."

"Or I wouldn't be here," Ruby repeated. "I like your brother- Strike that, I don't like him, but I'll help you as long as it doesn't send everyone in hell."

"Again, what am I facing?" Sam asked again, knowing that Ruby had her own pace, and it was easier to go along than fight her on it. It wasn't any different than dealing with Dean.

"Mostly: Dean. The spell was created to unite two people, not just get them together, but to keep them together forever and ever--"

"And that's a bad thing why?" Sam asked with a frown.

Ruby glared at him, before returning the attention to the road. "It wasn't meant for brothers. It was meant for people who barely knew each other. The spell allowed them to really know each other, feel what the other felt. It wouldn't allow you to know what the other thinks--"

"But I do," Sam answered smugly.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Yes, again, it wasn't meant for the new leader of Hell, the boy King, the Anti-Christ, take your pick. It was meant for normal people." She backhanded his arm. "Now stop interrupting. It doesn't give you the power to know what the other thinks, but you know what the other person feels."

Sam nodded, but there was something nagging at the back of his mind. Everyone kept talking about couples, and--" _Holy shit_ … is not like we can't have sex with other people anymore?"

Ruby laughed. "Way to think things through beforehand. Strange that you didn't ask if you would want to fuck your brother…. Oh wait, you already do."

Sam snorted. "No, that's you who wants to watch."

"There could be a threesome," she said off handed.

"Or Dean could kill us both," he said, chuckling. "So, can we- I mean--"

"Can you fuck? Yes, you can, but Dean will feel just how _excited_ you are," she answered with a smirk.

"God--" That was going to be horrible; Dean might actually kill him. However another idea came up. "Wait, but I can keep it from him, right? I mean that's what you want me to do, learn how to keep thoughts and feelings from others. It's perfect for you. You'll have to help me," Sam said, knowing that she would, because it fit her plan. It was the perfect opportunity. However, she didn't jump at the chance. Instead, she kept throwing glances in his direction.

"That's going to be hard," she finally said. "There's going to be a spell that compels you to feel what he does and vice versa. To keep everything from Dean you'll have to use a lot more power than you are able to harness right now. I think you have amazing abilities, yes, but even I don't know if you can do this. Spells are a powerful thing." She sighed. "You need to tell him. You can't keep it from him forever. You'll go nuts, and you'll be tired, and with time, the bond is going to get stronger making it even more difficult."

"With time, and maybe we can find something else to break the contract. Ruby, there's no more time. I need to do this, and then… then I can deal with the consequences. I'm keeping this from him for as long as I can, and hopefully something else will come up." He reached over, brushing her cheek with his thumb, and smiling at her. "Thank you for everything."

Ruby snorted. "Don't go get all romantic on me, Sammy." She winked at him, before returning her attention to the road. It took another five minutes and they arrived at their destination. She parked down the road from where Bela's car was, and they met her at the car.

"Do you really think you can disable the alarms and cameras?" Bela asked in greeting.

"No, we're just here for kicks," Ruby answered, sarcastically. 

"You're even more annoying than most demons," Bela commented as she checked her watch. "We have another four minutes before the guards clear out and then we have only thirty minutes."

Sam brushed Ruby's arm with the back of his hand, and their eyes connected for a moment. There were no words, no mental thoughts, but it was enough for her to back off. It was eerily too much like working with Dean. "We know," Sam replied. "It won't take that long. Once everything is down, you can go in and out."

"If they are down," Bela murmured, before opening the back of her car, and pulled out earpieces. "Here put these on, we can talk to each other without a problem."

Ruby looked at the little piece of plastic, clearly not convinced that those things would work, but put it on. "Things I do for you."

"And why exactly do you do the?" Bela asked with a fake smile.

"That's for me to know and you… and you to get the hell away from me, unless you want to end up very dead," Ruby answered with the same smile.

"No killing," Sam said, coldly, even though he doubted either woman would listen to him. In the long run, each person or demon, as it was becoming the case, would have to make his or her own choice. "How long?"

Bela looked at her watch. "Sixty seconds. Let's go." She picked up a small backpack from the back of the car, locked the door and went ahead without waiting for the other two.

"Are you sure I can't kill her?" Ruby murmured. "And Dean is here."

"We might need her in the future," Sam replied, before nodding. He didn't expect any differently from his brother. However, Dean's presence didn't change how things would go down.

For once, reality and the plan overlapped perfectly. Sam was able to freeze the images of the cameras, and Ruby disarmed the alarm system. Bela didn't believe either one until she was walking freely through the museum. Sam didn't know how she opened the case or what else she took (Sam didn't expect her to be honest about that part), but she got the statue, and that was the important thing. Then, she walked back outside without anyone stopping her.

Ruby greeted her with a smile and an extended hand. "She's thinking about double crossing us."

Sam snorted. "I don't need to read her mind to know that. Give it up, Bela. You'll have it in a few days, and then you can make as much as you want from it. Right now, it's mine." 

"And how can I trust you?" she asked with an attitude.

"Just like I trust you." Which meant not at all, and this time the outcome would be similar to the past, even if their roles would be reversed, because Sam had no intention of giving such a powerful tool to Bela. The statue would disappear after he was done. "And now—" He nodded toward the bag she was carrying.

Bela sighed, but then handed it to Ruby, who opened the bag to check. "It's here," Ruby confirmed. 

"Nice doing business with you," Sam said. Ruby didn't bother with a goodbye, instead turned away, already walking to the car. For once, Sam didn't feel the need to talk or reassure Bela. Instead he followed Ruby, with one thought in mind: he was one step closer to saving Dean.

They rode back in silence. Sam was too excited and Ruby probably knew it. She drove straight to the hotel, and dropped Sam off. "Let me know where you end up."

"Will do. We'll probably leave tomorrow," he said.

"Tonight would be better. I don't trust her." There was no need to say who that 'her' was.

"Neither do I, Ruby. Stop worrying." Sam got out of the car, and picked up the bag with the statue from the bag seat. "I'll call you." He closed the door, and went straight to the room. He wasn't surprised to see Dean there, lying on the bed completely dressed.

"Everything okay?" Dean asked.

Sam looked at their things already packed and sitting on the chairs. "Yeah," he asked with a frown. "Are we going anywhere?"

"Someone is bound to notice a missing statue from a museum," Dean answered.

"Yeah, and Bela will be the one who skips town," Sam pointed out. "We can leave in the morning."

Dean rolled to his side. "So everything okay?" he asked again.

Sam smiled. "Yeah, Dean, everything is great."

"Then, we can leave," he answered, getting up. "If they have questions, they can look for Mr. James and Johnny Morison."

Sam wasn't going to argue over something so trivial, not tonight. "All right, let me use the bathroom, and we can go." He put the statue in his duffel bag, and went to the bathroom. "You know something? Ruby insisted that we leave. You two sound so much alike." He watched Dean sputter something, but before he could form a coherent reply, Sam had closed the door.

***

Another few hundred miles, another state, and they really had no plan, no case, nothing but getting into the Impala and drive. Sam could see that Dean was getting antsy, wanting to ask for an explanation, but stopping himself at the last moment. He knew that it was time to cast the spell. Waiting would do them no good, and it was driving both of them insane.

"Let's stop… anywhere," he added, when Dean turned his head to look at him. "Just… stop for a few days." He knew that Ruby wouldn't be far behind. She'd been keeping tabs on them through phone calls and the occasional meeting.

"Anywhere?" Dean asked, and then nodded. "Anywhere," he said, as he already scanned the area. It didn't take them long to find a motel with available rooms. It wasn't difficult when you were in Nowhere, Wyoming. 

The room was non-descriptive, lots of browns that camouflaged the dirt and stains. Sam put down his bag, opening it to make sure the statue was still there. It was stupid, because he never let it out of his sight, but he still needed to make sure. "I'm going to go and grab some food," he told Dean, in what had become shortcut for 'I need to do something you can't know about."

Dean didn't miss a beat. "Sure. I'll shower then, and I'll see you later."

"Make sure that--"

Dean rolled his eyes. "I'm going to take that damn statue in the bathroom with me, okay?"

Sam smiled. "Yeah, I think that'll work." He grabbed the keys of the car, and went out. The food was the last stop. First, he needed a place where to do this spell. He didn't want to attract attention at the motel. He found an abandoned stable not too far out of the little town. Next stop was the pharmacy for some sleeping pills, and then, the grocery for enough junk food and beer to keep Dean occupied for the next day or two. 

At the diner, he called Ruby while waiting for the food. "We've stopped for a few days."

"Nice to hear from you, too. I'm fine, thanks for asking," Ruby answered. "Where are you stopping?

"Bairol, off of 287," Sam said. "You don't need—"

"Bullshit, Sam. Lilith is going to be pissed when she finds out about what you've done. She's already looking for you. I’m not leaving you alone," Ruby said.

"Dean is here," Sam answered, stubbornly.

"Yeah? And how much can he help with her? You remember what she did at the police station, right?" Ruby asked, brutally. "So, yeah, I'll be there. Tell me they have a decent place to sleep."

Sam snorted. "One motel and it sucks."

"Gee, what a surprise. Couldn't you go to Vegas instead? I bet Dean would have liked that." She went on without waiting for an answer. "When are you doing it?"

"It's not of your business." The answer was automatic, making Sam tense again. 

"Wrong answer, Sammy boy. Everything you do is my business, and besides, I can make sure you do it right. Witch here, remember?" The smugness carried through the phone.

Sam tapped his finger on the table, trying to decide. On one hand, he didn't trust her, not completely, even if she'd been very useful. On the other, she could have stopped him plenty of times already. She didn't have to tell him about coming, either. "Tomorrow night. I can't get things ready for tonight, but there is an abandoned barn that I plan to use--"

"I'll find it and set up," she cut off. "I'm tired of this waiting. You're antsy, Dean has been following you every time you move away from him, and we've spent more time in a car than I care to do. Do you people know about showers and clean clothes? Men." Her tone left no doubt about her opinion on the matter. "Get your brother ready."

"You mean unconscious?" Sam asked, with a trace of amusement.

"Unless you're planning to fuck him, in which case wait for me," she answered, chuckling.

"You have one sick mind, Ruby," Sam said.

"Demon here. It comes with the job description. See you soon, Sam." She hung up on Sam like she'd done a few times in the past.

Sam was still looking at the phone when a bag was put on front of him. "Here you are, darling," the older woman said with a lascivious smile that made Sam shiver. 

"Thanks," he said, hurriedly. He stood up, grabbed the bag and went back to the motel.

****

Sam crushed the sleeping pills into fine dust and slipped it into Dean's beer. Mixing alcohol and sleeping pills wasn't the smartest thing, but it was necessary. Not long after taking the first few sips of beer, Dean was dead to the world. Sam had to remember himself that no, Dean wasn't really dead. Before he could get lost in his thoughts, there was a distinct knock on the door. Sam opened the door, but there were no smiles tonight. He was too tensed. "He's asleep."

"I have everything set up," she said.

Sam frowned. "I didn't give you Bobby's notes."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Again, witch here. So now that we've established this little fact, should we get this party rolling?"

Sam grabbed the bag with the statue, and swung it over his shoulder. "We can't just drag him out; people will see."

"For a smart boy, you're really stupid," Ruby said, finally stepping inside. She pointed her hand toward Dean, levitating him and turning him around until he was standing up. "Grab him; I'll take the other side."

Sam wrapped his arm around Dean's waist; however there was no weight to bear. Ruby was doing all the work. He waited until she was on the other side, and walked outside, closing the motel door behind him. There wasn't anyone outside, for which he was grateful. You usually brought drunk men _inside_ a room, not outside. No matter what Ruby said, it would look suspicious.

Ruby opened the back door and used her powers to put Dean inside the car. "Get in," she said as she went around and got into the driver seat. She pulled out slowly from the motel's dirt-covered parking lot, driving carefully until they were away from the six buildings that constituted the center of town, and then sped all the way to the barn.

She stopped the car right in front of the door and got out just as she turned the car off. "Come inside with me."

Sam tensed at the order. He'd been so busy thinking about Dean that he hadn't't even picked up his gun. It was too late to worry about it now. Instead he had grabbed the bag and followed her, knowing that Dean would kill him if he ever found out. Still, he couldn't worry about that either. If she tried something, he'd have to rely on his new powers. However, when they got inside, he was pleasantly surprised. Ruby obviously knew what she was doing.

"Nice pentagram," Sam said as he took in the scene.

"You'll be inside there with Dean," she said as she started to light the many candles spread around the room. "We'll cast the spell together. More power, and before you ask, your blood, your bonding. I'm just here to strengthen it. If Lilith feels it, she'll back off from Dean. She'll still want to kill you."

"Glad to know," Sam said, sarcastically.

"You didn't really expect that the world would turn into a Disney movie after you saved Dean, right?" Ruby put the lighter into her jeans pocket and turned to Sam. "I'll get Dean. Put the statue on the altar and learn that spell," she said, thrusting a paper in Sam's hand.

Sam wanted to disagree just to shut her up. She's been giving too many orders tonight and he didn't like it, but she was making sense. He did what she said and was standing inside the pentagram when she returned with Dean. Ruby deposited him none too kindly to the ground, making Sam wince. There'd be bitching in the morning to go with the probably bump on Dean's head.

Ruby took out her knife and handed it to Sam, but he shook his head. He reached into Dean's boot to find Dean's knife. As he made a cut into his palm, it felt right to be using something that belonged to Dean. A few drops on the statue's hand was all they needed. When he was done, he pulled Dean into a seating position before cutting his palm as well. Again, they only needed a few drops before he eased Dean to the floor. He stood up and looked at the spell again. "This is different from Bobby's."

Ruby stood, hands on her hips and a raised eyebrow. "Yes, I changed it so we can perform it together. Look at it. Singular into plural, changed conjugations, that's all. Don't you trust me?"

Sam smirked. "Not really."

"Atta boy, getting smart."

"But the spell is the same except for those minors changes," he said, feeling stupid. If Ruby planned to double cross him, she wouldn't be so stupid about it. He could verify her latin easily enough. "All right, ready?"

Ruby nodded, and in moments they were both reciting the spell. They both kept their eyes on Dean. There was nothing in the ritual about that, but it seemed like the right thing to do. Sam was used to casting spells to fight demons and spirits; he was used to the wind and explosions and general violency connected to spells. This was completely different. There was no sign that they had even cast the spell. He looked up at Ruby, worried. "Did it work?"

Her lips curled into a slow smile. "Yes, I could feel it build around me. It's done. Let me take you home and tomorrow, you can celebrate before he kills you."

****

Dean woke up groggy and confused. His head felt like it was stuffed with cotton and he couldn't remember a single thing about the night before. "Fuck- how much did I drink last night?" he said, rubbing the back of his head, feeling a bump that hadn't been there the night before. He blinked a few times, and sat up. That was when he noticed Sam staring at him. "What?" He checked his face, because his brother was a devious little shit and if he had started one of their prank wars this late in the game, Dean might just have to kill him. "What? What did you do?"

Sam stayed where he was, sitting on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees and fingers loosely intertwined. "I saved you," he said after a few moments.

"You what?" Dean was suddenly awake. "If this is some kind of joke--"

Sam shook his head. "No, no joke, Dean. It's… it's done. You're saved." 

Dean narrowed his eyes, staring at his brother. "If it's true, why are you sitting there like you're going to a funeral?"

Sam cracked a smile. "It's just- it feels so unreal. I've done it, except--"

"Except what?" Dean asked, coldly. How else was he expected to deal with this rollercoaster of emotion when he was barely awake? "I don't have coffee," he muttered to himself, before glaring at his brother. "What did you do? What the hell did you do, Sammy?"

"Nothing, all right. I didn't do something stupid like… oh, say selling my soul," Sam answered sarcastically, before shaking his head. "It's nothing like that. I haven't given anything up, Dean."

"Then what? Because there's always a but, and I need to know." He couldn't feel happy, couldn't accept that he was a free man until he knew what the price was. He scuttered on the bed, sitting in front of Sam. "What did you do?"

"I- I bonded our souls. Your soul belongs to me and Lilith can't have it until I die, but if I die, so you do." Sam looked at Dean through his bang, and there were so many emotions there that Dean didn't understand. "I'm sorry; it was the best I could do."

Dean chuckled. "Only you could apologize for saving my life, and the rest--" He shrugged. "It was always going to go down like that. I can't live without you, Sammy. I can't go through that."

"You can't?" Sam looked at him, wide eyed, and then stood up. 

The signs were there. Dean recognized anger when he saw it, especially in his brother. It was time to back down, except that his instincts only worked with demons and their father, and he wouldn't even analyze how fucked up that part was. Instead, he pressed on. "Yeah, I can't, so if that's the only problem, I say we got no problem."

Dean didn't see Sam move, and probably he hadn't, but he suddenly found himself pinned to the wall, and Sam's face was right _there_ , less than an inch from his. "What the hell, Sammy?"

"No problem? I watched you die; I lived without you. I never considered dying, because dying is the end. As long as I was alive, I could find a way to get you back and I did, and now, I'm going to stay alive until I find a way to change this so that you aren't connected to me, so that if Lilith kills me, you're still alive." Sam punched the wall, next to Dean's face. "Why can't you fight for yourself, Dean?"

He thought that it was the most stupid question anyone ever asked. He smiled, because it was easy and he had an answer that his genius brother didn't have. "Because it's always been about you. My little brother. I spent my life protecting you and if I fail, then I'm no--"

"If you finish that sentence, I'm going to punch you," Sam warned.

"Fine," Dean hissed through gritted teeth. "You wanted to know and now you do. Would you mind letting me go so I can dress?" 

They stared at each other for a few moments, and then Sam backed away. Dean took a deep breath as the force that kept him against the wall disappeared. "You're getting good with that."

"We're going to need it. I have to keep both of us alive," he pointed out.

"If you're going to be a bitch about it, I'm going to kill you myself, because putting up with your crappy mood is got to be worse than hell," Dean said. "So, now are you going to tell me what exactly this bonding means?" he asked casually, but his mind was already going through everything he knew about bondings (which admittedly wasn't much), and all the possible consequences (which were many, at least in Dean's mind). 

Typically, Sam clammed up when he was supposed to talk. Instead he simply shrugged. "Nothing else. The fact that your life is connected to mine isn't exactly a little detail."

Dean frowned. "That's it? Our lives are connected… which isn't very different from … ever, but no side effects? No needing to stay close?"

Sam laughed. "I don't know about that one, but it's not like we're ever going to test it. When is the last time we weren't on top of each other?"

"When you ran away and hooked up with Meg," Dean answered without having to think about it, "and before Stanford, other than that? Random hunts when you were little."

"Yes, you don't have to name them all."

"I could."

Sam rolled his eyes. "The fact that I believe you shows how insane our lives are." He ran his fingers through his hair. "Look, there is nothing, and if there is, no one, not me, not Bobby and not Ruby could find it. As far as we know, there is only one consequence, and now can we get out of here? Let's go and celebrate somewhere with a population of more than a hundred people."

Dean still couldn't believe it. It was too easy, with no consequences and he didn't- couldn't accept it. Everything had a consequence; his father had taught him that when he was still in elementary school. You forgot to buy milk; you went without breakfast. So this? He couldn't believe it, not the way Sam was explaining, but for now, he'd play the game. He'd go along and wait. Soon enough, he'd find out what Sam was hiding or he would be dead. Either way, it'd come to an end.

****

Dean watched and waited, waited and watched, but as far as he could tell Sam had been right: there were no consequences. Of course that could mean that Sam had been wrong and he was going to die a horrible and painful death. 

Truth was that he was losing his mind. The closer they got to the date, the more he saw shadows and heard noises. He spent his days trying not to let Sam find out just how jumpy he was. However, Sam kept looking at him like he _knew_. "Are you in my mind?" he finally asked as they left the diner so much like every other diner they had visited in the past.

"What?" Sam turned to Dean, frowning. "You mean- No, of course not. Why would you even think that?"

"Oh, I don't know, because you seem to know things without me saying them," Dean commented.

"It's… you're my brother. I know you. It has nothing to do with reading your mind," Sam said.

Dean put his hands in his jacket, following Sam to the car. It wasn't surrender; it was a strategic retreat. He could tell Sam was lying and was keeping something back. No, this was a way to regroup and find the right way to attack. The growl came unexpected, making him jump and slam into Sam.

"What now? What's wrong, Dean?" Sam asked, looking around for a sign.

"Are you sure what you did worked?" Dean asked, and even his own bravado wasn't enough to mask the fear in his voice. He was going to die… he was going to die and he wasn't ready. He'd forgotten to give Sam directions about a thousand things, and he hadn't tuned up the Impala, and- _oh god, he was going to die_. 

Dean bent forward, hands on his knees, trying to breathe. The hand on his back helped, it was reassuring in a way that words weren't. He could feel the love and worry coming from Sammy, which was stupid, because a hand didn't say anything.

"You're not going to die, Dean. I'm sure it worked. Whatever it is, you need to tell me. If Lilith--"

Dean shook his head. "Hellhounds. I can hear them."

Sam sighed. "Yeah, they wouldn't know, not yet. It's all right, Dean. I swear, but we need to get going. I don't know who's going to come to collect your soul, but I don't want to deal with Lilith, not yet. Come on, let's get going. I'll call Ruby and then we see how to best inform hellhounds and demons that your soul is mine and they can all go to hell."

Dean laughed at that. "That's exactly where they don't want to go." He straightened up, taking a deep breath. "Okay, so you're saying that you saved me, except that we need to tell them and we could die when we tell them?" Sam nodded. "Just like always then." Dean grinned. This was familiar; this he could deal with. "Let's go then."

***

Ruby was becoming a life saver in more ways than one. Sam was sure that he'd end up owning her his first born or his soul, or possibly both. He didn't know what she did or how, but on the one year anniversary, they found themselves face to face with a demon who wasn't Lilith.

"My, my, the Winchester boys are going to be split up," the woman – a teenager, really – said seductively.

Sam ignored her tone and words, too worried about the panicked look on Dean's face. The hellhounds had been following them, getting closer and closer, but they wouldn't attack, not until the right moment. That moment would never happen. He gave one quick look to Ruby, who was leaning against her car. She winked at him, and it was enough to make him feel better. They had really done it. Now it was time to bring the game to an end.

"Ready, Dean?" the girl-demon asked.

"He's not going with you," Sam answered, hands crossed in front of him. 

"Oh, but a deal is a deal," she answered sweetly.

"Yes, but there is a little thing called caveat emptor," Sam answered.

Dean backhanded his arm. "This isn't the time for that legal shit."

Sam rolled his eyes. "I'm making a point, Dean. If you could shut up--" He turned to the demon. "You see, he can't give you his soul, because it doesn't belong to him. Of course, he didn't know nor did he do anything to cause that. So as you see, he kept his end of the bargain. Your _friend_ never made sure to check that little part."

"You're lying," she spat out.

"Am I?" Sam asked with a smile. "I mean, I could be, but that would be really stupid of me, and I'm not stupid." He put his hands down, and stepped closer, towering over the girl. He knew that height meant nothing with demons, but he had more than simple height on his side. "He's mine," he said menacingly, "however, I play nice. Call those hounds back and then try taking his soul. If I'm right, then nothing happens. If I'm wrong, then Dean comes with you." He was proud that he could keep his voice steady, because even though he knew that he'd done it, even though he had Ruby's assurance, part of him was still terrified. 

_It's okay; it'll work_ , came Ruby's voice. He didn't know if the other demon could hear her, but from the look on the young girl's face, she had no clue about Ruby's message.

"So are we doing something, or we staying here all night? Because I'd rather go get a beer," Dean said with his usual bravado, ending the standstill.

The demon looked at Sam, and then at Ruby, thinking about what to do.

"We can kill you," Sam said in a helpful voice. "Sure, it wouldn't change the contract, but it'd make me feel better." He was bluffing, of course. They had a better chance with this demon than with Lilith.

The demon seemed to consider it, and in the end, self-preservation won out. She shrugged. "It would have been nice to see him tore apart, but I guess we can forgo that part." She patted her leg. "Come." Sam was the only one who couldn't see the demonic beasts circle her, watching Dean and waiting for the next command.

She raised her hand, palm facing Dean. She closed her eyes, smiling in anticipation. Taking a life was always reward, but taking a soul was so much better. She focused, and after a moment, she frowned. She tried again, and then opened her eyes, turning her attention to Sam. "What did you do?"

Sam shrugged, although he was trembling inside. It worked; it really worked. "What I had to. His soul is mine now. You can't have it. Sorry to disappoint you." He stops as Ruby pushed herself off from the car and stepped closer now. "See, she wanted to kill you. Me? I'm nicer. You go your way; we go ours. No harm done."

The demon narrowed her eyes. "What's the trick?" she asked.

Ruby smirked. "You get to tell Lilith. We're going to have that beer now. Ciao," she said, waving at the other woman. "Come on, Sam. Let's go. We've got better things to do." _Let's get the hell out of here, before she finds a way to tell Lilith_ , she added mentally.

"You won't get away with this," the demon said.

That shook Sam out of his reverie. "I think we just did." He grabbed Dean's arm, and pulled him toward the Impala. "Let's go, Dean."

Dean looked away from the demon and looked at Sam. His shock and surprise were clearly written on his face. He nodded slowly, before finally moving. Sam and Ruby both waited for Dean to get into the car, before getting each into the driver seat of their respective cars. They drove away without looking back. They had won a battle, but it was far from over.

***

Sam had thought that nothing could be worse than spending a whole year wondering if his brother was going to die or not. He'd been wrong. So fucking wrong. There were no words to express just how magnificently wrong he had been. Really, seriously, completely wrong. 

Maybe people would expect more from him than the limited vocabulary he was currently displaying (even if only in his own head), but he was slowly going mad. No, it had nothing to do with the demons and Lilith. They were still out there, and getting ready to kill him and take over the world, not necessarily in that order. No, there was nothing different from the past there. Dean and Sam Winchester saving the world one demon at the time. See? Nothing different. Except that everything was different. Dean was very different.

Once the reality that he wasn't going to die settled in, Dean became impossible. If he'd been bad right after he made the deal, he was downright hedonistic now. There wasn't a night that went by without him finding a beer to drink, a game to play or a woman to fuck, and possibly all three. 

Sam didn't really begrudge him. The problem was that Sam was feeling _everything_ Dean was. The hangovers weren't the worse. No, he could deal with that. The real problem were the inopportune hard-ons caused by Dean's activities, because what Ruby had forgot to mention was that when he felt things, he really _felt_ them.

This was why he found himself in the middle of Ruby's room for a training session, and instead of fighting, he stopped and leaned down, hands on his knees. He groaned, and not because of any pain. Ruby moved closer, frowning. She punched his arm, putting very little strength behind it. "Are you all right?"

Sam nodded tersely, unable to speak. He was afraid of what he'd say if he opened his mouth at the moment.

"Sure you are, and I'm Santa Claus," she answered. "Come on, what's wrong?" She looked him over, and then a big smile appeared on her face. "Let me guess. Dean?" she said, grinning.

"You're a bitch."

She laughed. "I did say that you would feel the consequences." She looked him over again. "Very big consequences. I could always help with that," she said coyly.

"I did say that I hate you," he answered, but there was no venom in his voice.

"You can hate me all you want," she answered, untouched. 

Sam straightened up, and stared at her for a moment. "I don't really hate you."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "We don't need to share feelings, Sammy. I'm more interested in this," she said, covering Sam's crotch with her hand. "You're too. Or at least, Dean is."

Sam groaned again, and this time, it was a mixture of what he was feeling and what Dean was. "I don't know… I can't keep it from him if--" 

"So what? You're never going to have sex again? Never have an orgasm again?" She squeezed him through his jeans. "You know you can't do that. You'll just have to make sure that he doesn't find out," she whispered, before reaching to cup the back of Sam's head and pulling him closer for a kiss. She didn't even have to use her demonic strength, because there was no resistance, their mouths crashing together easily.

Ruby let go, concentrating on Sam's jeans. For once, they didn't use powers, nothing but hands and mouths, but the need and impatience was still there, pushing and pulling at their clothes until they were naked. 

Sam couldn't wait, not a single moment longer. God, he was going to kill Dean for whatever he was doing, but that would have to wait until later. He pushed Ruby into the bed. She went down easily, opening her legs for him and just like that he was buried inside her, fucking her violently. Her nails dug into his skin, leaving red, angry marks on his shoulder. 

"I can feel you," she breathed out.

"That's the point," Sam answered annoyed.

Ruby laughed breathily. "No, idiot, you're letting your walls down. Come on, concentrate. You can fuck me and still keep your control. You can't slip or Dean will know."

She knew exactly what to say to make him work harder, concentrate a little more, however, it didn't detract from the need he felt building inside him. He pounded into her, closing his eyes and concentrating on Dean and on keeping everything from him. He moved faster and faster, and then it happened. He felt Dean's orgasm slamming through him just as he came, and if it was Dean's face that he saw behind closed lids, it was only because of that. There was no other reason. None at all.

***

"What crawled up your ass?" Dean asked as they entered another hotel in another god forsaken town in the middle of nowhere.

"Oh… let's see. I still haven't found a way to make this soul thing permanent so your life isn't dependent on mine. Lilith found out about what I did, and pissed doesn't seem to cover how she feels. Every demon that escaped is causing hell on earth. Ruby is on my ass, because I'm still not powerful enough." Sam dropped the bag to the floor and slumped on the bed. "The only good thing that has happened recently is that we haven't heard from Bela after I didn't send her the statue. Other than that, it's been shittier than usual, why do you think I'm worried?"

Dean ignored the sarcasm, because he knew that was Sam's way to throw people off. Not that everything he had said wasn't true, but it had been true before and it hadn't affected Sam, not this way. There was something else, something that had started the night he'd been saved, or maybe even before, but he had been too preoccupied to pay attention. Now, it had become obvious, but of course, Sam was keeping it a secret.

"I told you the deal isn't a problem. We always have demons gunning for us, and this isn't any different than the past. We'll deal with the demons. Ruby included," he added after a moment. He sat next to Sam, and put a hand on Sam's thigh. "We do it together, but I got to know what the problem is."

Sam shook his head. "There is no problem."

Dean snorted. "Right- You said that you needed me. You said that I could keep you from--" He stood up in the middle of his speech. He wouldn't do this. They weren't girls, they didn't discuss feelings, and if they did, he wasn't the one to start said discussions. That was Sam's job, and he wouldn't turn into a fucking girl, not even for his brother. "Fine, it's the demons, but if you decide that I should know the truth- You know what? Call me when you find out what we need to kill." He didn't say anything else. Instead, he walked outside, slamming the door behind him before walking to the Impala.

It didn't take him long to find a bar. Small towns were all the same, with one main street and everything you needed right on that street. This town wasn't any different. It was even less original than usual with Main Street grouping the few businesses in town, including a bar.

Dean parked the car behind the shady building and walked around to the main entrance. As he made his way inside the small bar, he watched for all the entrances, cataloguing every door and window, because his dad had taught him early on the importance of knowing his way out. One never knew when a demon would stop by. 

He sat at the counter and ordered a beer. As he looked at the people in this place, his mind went to his dad. He was thinking about him more and more since he'd made that deal. On some days, he was ready to swear that there couldn't have been a better parent. Other days… other days, he was willing to blame their dad for their fucked up lives. Not that he ever said it aloud, but it was still there, nagging him in a way that had never bothered him too much.

"Hello, darlin'." 

A female voice brought him back from his thoughts. Dean turned around and smiled appreciatively at the woman standing in front of him. She was young, but legal, and that was the only thing that Dean cared about. All right, so not the only thing, but she fit the bill. She was all curves, and real too from the way her breasts bounced when she moved. When she pressed against his arm, Dean had all the confirmation he needed about the lack of silicone there. She was blond, although Dean could see darker roots, and wore too much make up, but red lipstick always looked good around his cock. "Hello, yourself," he answered, moving even closer. "What's a pretty thing like you doing all by herself?" He knew it was a lousy pick-up line, but he didn't think he needed to get creative in a joint like this.

"Waiting for someone like you," she answered with a smile.

"Well, then you're in luck," Dean said, pulling a stool next to his. "Why don't you join me?" He motioned toward the bar tender. "Another beer- Is that all right?" he asked her and barely waiting for the nod before going on. "Another one for- sorry, I don't know your name."

"Charlene," she said, the smiling getting bigger as she sat down. The bar tender snorted, and murmured something Dean couldn't hear and she turned to him and flipped him off. "Do your job and stop putting your nose where it don't belong. This ain't no business of yours." She stopped and winced, almost as if she had just remembered that Dean was there. "My father wanted a boy," she finally said, "and when I was born, he called me Charlie. Changed my name as soon as I turned eighteen but no one in this goddamn town remembers."

At least he had confirmation that she was eighteen, Dean thought. "Well, Charlene, it's nice to be making your acquaintance. I'm Dean."

"My pleasure, I'm sure," she drawled out.

"Oh, it will be, honey." As far as he was concerned, it wasn't arrogance, but a statement of the truth, and he was pleased to see that the girl - Charlene - agreed if her giggles were anything to go by.

Dean could be a proper gentleman, waiting the required fifteen minutes before dragging her into the bathroom- Or who was he kidding? He'd paid cash for the beers, and he was going to very well drink them before moving on to the next entertainment of the night. So what if he was drinking a little faster than usual? Charlene seemed to understand, because she drank her own beer in three swallows. God, Dean really loved low class girls.

Charlene put the beer down, and took his hand. She leaned closer and whispered in his ear. "I know a place. Come with me."

Dean was already up before she stopped talking. When he stood next to her, he realized how small she was. Not that it was a problem. He was an equal opportunity lover. "Lead the way."

In the end, it wasn't a bathroom stall or an alley, but a broken down shack in the back. It was obvious from the pillows and blankets left around that they weren't the first to use it for this purpose. His survey of the room ended when her arms went around his neck, her fingers lacing behind it and she pulled him down for a kiss, while she slid her foot up the back his leg.

How was a man supposed to resist that? Dean had no intention of finding out. He kissed her back, his fingers unbuttoning the shirt and pushing the cups of her bra aside so he could play with her nipples. Her hands were already on his jeans, opening them up. Small, slender fingers wrapped around his cock, stroking him expertly. Charlene reached into the pocket of her jeans skirt, and pulled out a condom from there. 

Dean smiled at that. "Smart girl."

She giggled again. "Horny girl," she answered. 

It was even better as far as Dean was concerned. It cut down on wasted time. They didn't bother with taking their clothes off. He pulled her skirt up, moving the flimsy underwear aside so he could finger her. Charlene opened the foil and covered his cock in latex, before he grabbed her waist, and she wrapped her legs around him. Dean pushed her against the wall (because there was no way he was lying down on those blankets) and then he was inside her, thrusting into her, pushing her against the wall over and over. It was just another day at the office.

Dean's head began spinning as he pounded into her. There was a sort of echo, like an out of body experience, and at the same time, he felt empty, like something was missing, like a piece of him was lost somewhere. This was not usual. This was something that had started since he was supposed to have died, something that he couldn't explain, and not something that he could actually ask anyone. He couldn't admit that maybe he was less than human.

He shook his head, trying to push that thought away and concentrate on the willing body pressed against his. Charlene was moaning, oblivious to his internal battle, and he decided to keep it that way, fingering her until she was tightening around him, and finally he let go, coming and grieving this sense of loss that he couldn't shake away.

***

>Dean left Charlene after a second beer and headed to the hotel. The room stank of sex as he stepped in, and he wasn't surprised to find Ruby there, lying completely dressed on his bed, while Sam's looked a mess. However his brother didn't seem to mind, sitting in the middle of it with his laptop resting on his legs. He shouldn't be so annoyed that Sam was getting laid, but the woman - the demon - was around all the fucking times, and she still was a demon. Dean didn't trust her. If Sam wanted to fuck her, it was one thing, but Dean drew the line at becoming friends. "Are you planning to move in with us?" he asked curtly as he closed the door. 

"Only if you ask nicely," she said, flashing him a smile. 

"She came to tell us about the demon we're hunting," Sam put in, ignoring the little exchange.

"I bet she did," Dean murmured under his breath, before sighing, because like it or not, she was a good source of information. "So, what do we have?" he asked as he sat at the edge of his bed, careful not to touch her.

"His name is Amitiel," Sam started.

"He's a third hierarchy demon," Ruby added.

"A what?" Dean asked.

"Ruby explained that there is a hierarchy. Azezel and Lilith are second hierarchy. First hierarchy is people like Lucifer-"

"If you believe in him," Ruby added. "Either way, Amitiel isn't as dangerous. However, there is a catch."

Dean snorted. "Always is. So what do we need to do?"

"Amitiel is a sort of… genie," Sam said, pausing on the word. "He's a higher level of djinn. He was able to leave hell if people summoned him. He could stay on earth for as long as it took to grant the three wishes--"

"Let me guess, there was a lamp involved," Dean said sarcastically.

"A medallion," Ruby told him. "The person who found it had three gifts. The medallion has a gate on it and that gate traps Amitiel until he's summoned again. He could only get out if someone wished for his freedom… at least until you people opened the gate. Now, he's roaming free."

Dean turned his head to look at her. "He doesn't seem- so bad," he added after a pause, because it was strange to categorize demons as anything other than evil.

"You'd think, right?" she asked with a smirk. "Thing is that Amitiel is still a demon, he loves pain, he soaks in it. So the wishes were granted in a way to cause the greatest amount of pain to the people involved. Also, the person who did make the wishes implicitly gave his soul to Amitiel. After death, Amitiel would come up with all sorts of torture for those souls. He gets his power from the pain. Now--" she shook her head. "I'm not sure that he still needs the pain to maintain his powers. We don't adjust the same to human bodies. I do know that he enjoyed it before and he seems to be still enjoying it, since he's causing as much pain as he can in his wake."

"We need to stop him, Dean," Sam said with conviction. "We can't let him hurt so many people."

"And to do so, you'll need the medallion," Ruby added. 

"Let me guess? And you know where it is?"

"Why is it that everyone forgets that I'm a witch?" she asked with a sigh. "There are summoning spells. There are spells that will tell me where it is. I will find it, but you need to find Amitiel."

"And how do we do that?" Dean asked, annoying, even though he knew that it was their job to track down demons.

Ruby sat up, and patted his shoulder. "Follow the dead bodies; it shouldn't be that hard." She winked at him before getting up. She approached Sam, and Sam looked up, before he smiled gently at her. "I'll call you as soon as I find it," she said.

"We'll be ready." Sam watched as she walked away, and before she left the room, he added. "Call me anyway." Ruby grinned and nodded.

Dean pictured his fingers around her neck, strangling the life out of her pretty little body.

***

 _Follow the bodies; it shouldn't be that hard_ , Ruby had said, but she had lied or underestimated Amitiel. There wasn't a lack of bodies. No, there were plenty of those, but he moved fast. Kidnap, torture and rape and move on. His victims were usually found within a day of their disappearance. There was no pattern they could find. Men and women alike were possible targets. The only common characteristic, if you could call it so, was the fact that they were all gorgeous, vibrant individuals, people who would put up a fight, struggle for their freedom and lives before death arrived. Sarcastic bastard didn't even begin to cover the extent of Amitiel's cruelty. So when they finally managed to find out where he was, they had no choice but to go after him.

"How do we stop him?" Dean asked as he got ready as many rifles as he got, not sure that any of them would slow a demon down. What he would do for that colt? He wasn't comforted when he saw Sam shrug. "What? That's it? No plan, no lecture about the need of being prepared?"

Sam shrugged again. "There is no plan; there is no way to prepare. The only thing that will trap him is that medallion and a devil's trap if we can trap him inside one. You'll draw it. I'll get him inside. We wait for Ruby. It's that simple."

"That simple," Dean repeated slowly, nodding as if he was considering it, before turning his head to glare at Sam. "Are you out of your freaking mind? How are you going to get him inside the devil's trap? You're going to ask him nicely, is that it?"

"If that's what it takes," Sam deadpanned, before putting his jacket on, and staring at Dean. "Look, we know where he is. If we wait, a man will be dead, and Amitiel will be gone again. We can't let him kill more people. Ruby said she's on her way with the medallion. We only have to keep him occupied until she arrives, and- and I do have a freaky mind, don't I? That's how I'll get him into the devil's trap."

"You'll use your freaky mind, and that's supposed to make me feel better?" Dean put down the riffle and stood in front of Sam. He remembered a time when he felt bigger even if he had to look up at his baby brother, but those days were long gone. This Sam didn't seem to need anyone, with the possible exception of Ruby, always so guarded and secretive, and now- Dean put his hands on Sam's shoulders. "It doesn't. How am I supposed to protect you if something goes wrong? What am I going to do?"

Sam smiled softly. "I know what you're feeling, Dean. I know the fear, the constant worrying, and I know because I feel it, too. I won't do anything stupid, because if I die, you die, and I won't let that happen. Now, you can stand there and tell me that I'm wrong when I'm not, or you can grab what we need and we stop this son of a bitch. You know what we have to do, and we'll do it, just like we've always done it, and both of us will get out of there alive. I swear."

Dean bit the inside of his cheek, because if he opened his mouth, he'd have to lie or admit that Sam had it right. He worried constantly, and the more demons they killed, the more afraid he got for Sam. His brother was public enemy number one, with every demon gunning for him. He couldn't forget that and not because his life was contingent on Sam's survival, but because the world would never be the same without Sam. Still, a world with a Sam who wasn't ready to protect it wasn't a proper world, so after a few moments, he nodded. "Let's get ready."

***

Things went to hell the moment they walked into the abandoned warehouse that Amitiel had turned into his private shop of horrors. Dean didn't know how the demon knew about their presence, but it was pretty obvious that he knew when he moved his attention away from the bloody, screaming man. Jimmy Robertson, 24, and missing since the night before was lying on the medical table in the middle of the room, Dean couldn't take his eyes away. There was a surgical light on top of the table that showed the exposed flesh, putting on display each injury. It was perfect in a sick, twisted way. The shove came out of no where, and Sam was glaring at him, before pointing to a corner. Dean nodded and walked behind the abandoned boxes and crates that one usually found in warehouses. Sam, on the other hand--

Dean stopped breathing when he saw Sam walk straight toward the demon with nothing in his hands, not even a gun to slow him down.

"Nice to finally meet you, boy," the demon said.

"I wish I could say the same," Sam answered, and hearing his brother so calm and collected was enough to make Dean move again, getting to his spot to draw the devil's trap. 

"You should have stayed away," Amitiel answered, "but now that you're here, I get to play with you. Lilith will be happy as long as I hand her your head."

Sam laughed. "Glad to hear you're so confident, but that's not how it's going to go down. No, because I have every intention of sending you back to hell. We have enough nutjobs without you helping."

Dean drew faster, wondering why they didn't just shut the fuck up, but then he remembered that Sam was stalling so that Ruby could get there with the medallion. The longer they chitchatted the less likely that Sam would have to use his powers and test them against someone who really wanted to hurt him.

Of course, luck was never on their side. Dean couldn't afford to stop and look what was going on when the noises started; crates were obviously being thrown around, and maybe people too. As long as he was alive, he knew that Sam was too; it was what kept him moving, creating perfect lines that would keep Amitiel trapped… if Sam could get him here.

Then in the middle of everything, Dean felt… he wasn't really sure what he felt. It wasn't coming from him. He was well away from the action and doubted that Amitiel had spotted him, but he felt pain, a strong, excruciating pain cutting through him, and yet, it wasn't real pain, but similar to the echo he felt when he fucked, only stronger. It took only a second to process all of that and then Sam's cries had him moving again.

Dean grabbed his riffle, staying hidden until he could shoot the bastard. The bullet barely made an impact, before he was being thrown across the room from an invisible force. He was really getting fucking tired of all these demonic powers, especially since they always got him pinned against a wall fighting for his breath.

Sam got up from the floor, using a crate for help, and then closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Dean could feel the anger building up faster than he had ever imagined, but it wasn't coming from him, and finally he understood. It was Sam, who was radiating pure hatred, so raw that made Dean question whether he knew his brother at all. Sam raised his hand, like Dean had seen too many demons do and then Amitiel was flying across the room, shocked by the sudden turn of events, especially when he realized that he was trapped.

Sam made sure that Dean was safely on the ground. "Help him," he ordered, nodding toward Jimmy. His attention went back to the demon as soon as he saw Dean approach Jimmy. Sam smirked, before raising his hand again and unleashing them on Amitiel again and again, until he was the one on the floor, spitting blood and groaning in pain.

"I knew you could do it," came out of no where. Ruby appeared after a moment, looking at Sam with pride. "That's my boy. Now-" She extended her arm, and let the medallion drop from her hand, while she held the chain. "Time to send him to hell. You do it. You know the spell, and you have the medallion. Concentrate and do what you're supposed to."

Sam grabbed the medallion without even looking at her, his eyes focused on Amitiel. Dean was too far to see the color of Sam's eyes, but the hate he was feeling was almost inhuman. Sam walked closer, until his feet almost touched the outer lines that Dean had drawn. "I told you I'd send you to hell," Sam said coldly. "No one touches my brother, you can tell that to your pals down there." He held the medallion and raised his hand, staring as the demon screamed in pain, until the familiar black smoke came out of the body Amitiel was occupying and it was trapped into the medallion.

Sam stood there, watching as the body collapsed to the floor. Ruby slapped him in the back. "Good job."

"He's dead," Sam answered.

"He was dead before you got here. You can't let that affect you," she said. "Come on, it's time to go."

Dean approached them. "Jimmy is still alive, but he's unconscious. Probably best at the moment. I called 911. We need to go," he said, calmly, trying to ignore the feelings that were assaulting him and the fact that he finally stopped feeling empty. It could wait until they were alone. 

"What do we do about him?" Sam asked, nodding toward the floor and the devil's trap.

Dean shrugged. "I'm sure the cops will come up with an explanation on why he killed himself after his little killing spree. It's nice and neat and solves all their problems. Now, we really need to go before they show up," he said, already hearing the sirens in the distance.

Sam nodded, before picking up the bag that Dean had left there. "Ready."

"We should celebrate," Ruby said, as they went outside

"No, we shouldn't," Dean put in before Sam could reply. "You're going back to whatever hole you hide in during the day and I'm taking Sam back to the hotel and make sure he's all right."

"I'm fine--"

"Shut up, Sammy. We're going to the hotel," he said, staring at his brother for a moment, before looking at Ruby. "He'll call you; now get, lost." He pulled out the keys of the Impala and opened the passenger door first. "Get in," he ordered, before going around and getting in himself.

"You're angry. We just saved a guy and sent a demon to hell, and you're upset with me. What the hell is going on?" Sam asked as Dean turned the car on.

"That would be my question," Dean said as he drove off without waiting to see if Ruby was doing the same.

"I don't know--"

"What I mean? We're not talking about this until we get back to the hotel and I patch you up, and don't you give me that crap about being fine. You're in pain, and do you know how I know?" he asked, fighting to keep his voice steady. "Because I can feel it, Sammy. I can feel your pain, so before you start lying, I suggest you think about what you're going to say."

"It's not bad. It's a stab wound, no major organs… it just hurts and I didn't--"

"I don't want to know. Not now," Dean answered curtly, focusing on driving until they were back at the hotel. He opened the door and let Sam walk in first. "Sit down, take your shirt up and shut up, or I swear I'll make you do it yourself."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Sam muttered as he took his shirt off and looked at the wound.

"What was that?" Dean asked as he came back with everything he needed. "Take these," he said, handing Sam two pills.

"I don't need them," Sam answered.

"Fine, I need them, because I don't know how much pain _I_ will feel while I patch you up. So shut up, and take them," he said, knowing that he was reverting to big brother mode, but he'd let Sam do his own thing and he'd got secrets and more secrets. It would end now.

Sam looked at Dean through his bangs, frowning. "I'll try to keep it from you."

"The hell you will. Take the goddamn pills, then I fix you up and then we do that talking you like so much," Dean said. He waited, staring at Sam, until his little brother swallowed the pills. 

Satisfied, Dean got up. He put the needle and thread in the microwave, sterilizing them as much as he could. Before picking them up, he went to clean his hands, and put on the latex gloves to minimize the risk of infection. He sat back in front of Sam, already feeling the dizziness coming from his brother.

"Get ready," he said, before he carefully began to stitch Sam up. It was an eerie feeling, the echo of the pain cursing through him as the needle pierced tender flesh. The pain was there and yet wasn't. He wasn't sure how to explain it, but he didn't need to, because the person that mattered already knew how it felt. Dean ground his teeth, because he didn't want to say anything at the moment.

"I'm sorry," Sam said softly. "I know you're angry--"

"You know a lot," Dean answered. "Let me finish this first."

"I'm okay," Sam added.

"I know… not thanks to you, but I finally know, now shut up." Dean refused to be dragged into this discussion until he was satisfied that the wound was closed. He cut the thread, put everything away and got rid of the gloves. He went back and sat on the foot of his bed. He waited, trying to sort his own thoughts, which wasn't easy when he could feel the trepidation and confusion coming from Sam. "How long? When did this start?"

"Since I did the bonding," Sam said. "It wasn't- It started like a buzz, very feeble, and we- I thought it was best to keep it from you, because it wasn't anything, you know? I thought- I figured I'd find a way to make it stop, but until I did, I could spare you from feeling any of this."

"Spare me?" Dean ran his fingers through his hair, wondering why he hadn't killed his brother yet. Oh yeah, he loved the big idiot. "Sam, you weren't sparing me anything. You made- I've been feeling things, once in a while. I thought I was going crazy, feeling things that weren't mine, and then--" He stood up and started to pace. "I've been miserable, and didn't know why. I tried drinking, fucking, nothing helped. There was always something missing, this hole inside me, and I didn't know what the hell it was. I didn't know that I was missing… you," he added in a whisper. "God, Sammy, it's been … it's been hell."

"Why didn't you say something?" Sam asked softly.

"Say what? 'Oh, Sammy, I think I've been hearing voices that aren't voices, and there is something wrong with me, but I have no idea what it could be, and could you please take your time from the important things like Lilith and Ameliet and focus on my imaginary problem'. Yes, that sounded so rational," Dean answered annoyed. 

"So why didn't I feel it?" Sam tried again.

Dean raised his hands in the air, shaking his head. "How the hell am I supposed to know? I haven't felt _anything_ until today, not really, just bits and pieces, mostly during sex, and--" He raised a hand. "I don't even want to know right now. You probably didn't know, because I didn't know what was wrong. I just _felt_ wrong and I filled the emptiness with food, alcohol and sex."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, that'd make sense. Basic urges are stronger and I started to feel those first… maybe with time--"

"Maybe with time what?" Dean asked exasperated. "Actually don't answer that. Start from the beginning, because I still don't know what this is, and no leaving anything out, do you understand?"

"Yeah, all right," Sam agreed. "Although, there really isn't much to tell. Bobby couldn't find any consequences, not really, but he didn't have that much time to research it. Ruby told me about them, but by then... there was no time for anything."

"How am I not surprised that you're relying on a demon for information?" Dean said with a snort.

"You should be, because I wasn't. I didn't tell her anything. Only Bobby knew, but after I told her about the statue, she did her own research," Sam explained, trying to keep the annoyance to a minimum, even if Dean could still pick up on it. "Besides, demons lie, right? I couldn't take her word that there'd be consequences, not when the alternative was your death."

Dean didn't believe that Sam had doubted her, but he also understood that there had been no choice. After all, Sam wasn't the only one who had done what he had to. In fact, they wouldn't have been in this mess if he had done his job properly and protected Sam in the first place.

"Stop that! Whatever you're thinking, it's not your fault. I did what needed to be done," Sam said.

"Exactly, and you wouldn't have had to if it weren't for me."

"If you hadn't brought me back, you mean." Sam added.

"If I had protected you," Dean whispered.

Sam stood up and walked slowly to the bed so that he could sit next to Dean. He rested a hand on Dean's thigh and when he turned his head, they were so close that he could feel Dean's breath. On a different occasion, he probably would have moved back, but not this time, not when he had spent too much time hiding from his own brother. When he spoke,   
his words were simple and calm, but Dean was overwhelmed by the strength of his brother's emotions. They were pouring out of Sam like water through a broken dam. The anguish, the desperation of too many months alone, the joy of getting Dean back, they were all there mixed with the worry about their survival and Dean's reaction. "You died once. You died and I did everything in my power to bring you back. There was no   
deal, no demons, just a desperate man who needed money. So as you can see it could happen for a million reasons, and while there was nothing I could do about the random accidents, there was something I could do with this deal. I wasn't going to let you die again, not when I had the answer."

Dean responded the only way he knew how. He covered Sam's hand, showing Sam what he really felt in a way that words wouldn't let him. "I get it, all right. What I don't understand is why you kept lying, why keep it from me."

Sam shrugged. "I thought- I don't know what I thought. You still weren't sure and it was so faint, I figured you never had to find out. Then it got stronger, and...I didn't want you to suffer the consequences for something I did. I thought I could keep it from you until I found a solution, but tonight- he was too strong and I couldn't divide my power between keeping this from you and fighting him, and then he hit me and he took the choice away."

"And I started feeling you like I was supposed to," Dean said.

Sam shook his head. "No, if I hadn't kept this from you, you'd gotten used to it slowly instead of getting all these feelings at once."

Dean thought about it for a moment and then shrugged. "You don't seem to be doing much better than me."

Sam laughed, and it was so genuine and real that it made Dean smile. "God, you sound so much like Ruby." He nudged Dean's shoulder with his. "You're very much alike, you know? Not that it matters, but... she says that I've spent too much time resisting the spell and that's why I've been so-"

"Moody? Worse than a pregnant woman?"

"And how would you know what a pregnant woman act?" Sam asked with a smile.

Dean shrugged. "Good imagination.... it's more than that, though. I felt off."

Sam frowned. "Yeah, what was that about? I don't get what the problem was. You shouldn't have been able to feel anything."

"That's exactly it. I felt nothing. Like there was supposed to be something and wasn't. It felt... wrong. I don't know how else to explain it," Dean admitted. "You can't keep this from me. Like it or not, our souls are bonded, and we got to deal with it. Together."

"You're very accepting." Sam said without hiding his suspicions.

"Do we have a choice? Not feeling anything is worse, and even if you're worse than a girl, you're still my brother." Dean smirked. "Besides, how bad can it be?

Sam snorted. "I know every time you come."

Dean rolled his eyes. "And you took every opportunity to have sex every time I did... I couldn't figure out what I was feeling, that echo like I was coming but it wasn't me. It was you, wasn't it?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah... god, this is so fucked up."

Dean chuckled. "We get to feel double the orgasms. I'd say that's the one good thing about this."

Sam punched his arm playfully. "You're a sick man."

"Yes, but you love me anyway." When Sam looked up, smiling brightly, Dean could feel just how much. He smiled back, and let his own feelings flow into Sam, no words required. This wasn't bad. Not bad at all.

***

"Stop doing that," Sam hissed as he leaned over the cheap vinyl table of a so-so diner in Indiana.

"Stop what?" Dean asked, innocently, before smiling happily. Just then, Sam was overpowered by happiness, smugness and a good dose of lust that never seemed to disappear.

"That," Sam repeated. "The broadcasting. Since you found out, it's like... like you want me to know."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Melodramatic much? It's not like you wouldn't know anyway and I'm not you. I don't have all those girly feelings you have. I certainly don't feel the need to talk about them."

"No, but you're always horny. How the fuck is that possible? Even while we hunt-"

"You're a smart boy. You should know about adrenaline," Dean answered with a smirk.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know, but this is different. This is like- like you want me to know."

"Does it make a difference, Sammy? You'll know no matter what I do," Dean pointed out for the second time. 

"I've always known that you're a horny bastard. It's not a real shocker," Sam said.

"Yeah, but I didn't have to share--" Dean stopped when he saw the waitress return with a smile and their credit card. 

"All done. Thank you for tip, boys," she said, her smile getting bigger when she mentioned the very generous tip.

"Don't mention it," Dean said with a wink. "Thanks for everything Mary Jane." He stood up, even though she was still standing too close to the table, making it inevitable for their bodies to touch. 

"God," Sam muttered, before grabbing Dean's arm and pulling him toward the exit. "Bye, Mary Jane." 

Dean let Sam pull him toward the door, while he looked back and waved at the waitress. She had one fine body, and if it weren't for the fact that they were leaving, he'd put the moves on her. "Ouch," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "What was that for?"

"For thinking with your dick. Again. We're in a rush, remember?"

"Yeah, Lilith, blah, blah, demons coming after us, blah blah. Just another day at the office." Still, he took his keys and got into the Impala. He turned the engine on as Sam got inside.

"You were saying something--"

"And you never shut up. Now, what the hell are you talking about?" Dean asked.

"In the diner, you were saying that you didn't have to share- what was it?" Sam turned to stare at Dean, and they didn't need a bond to see the smugness in Sam's face.

"Just because we're in a car, it doesn't mean I have to answer," Dean pointed out.

"No, but I'll find out anyway, because I know which question makes you more uncomfortable, and I can keep prodding until you get tired of it," Sam answered sweetly.

"And people think you're the nice one," Dean said, shaking his head. "Fine, I meant… I was stuck with you, you know? It was my job to take care of you, to protect you, to be strong for you." He shrugged. "Can't do that if you know what I'm feeling."

"You don't have to pretend anymore," Sam said, and suddenly it was so much clearer. Dean still acted the same, talked the same, and no one else would notice anything different, but he was finally free to be who he is, at least with Sam. "This bonding isn't so bad," he finally said, staring outside.

Dean smiled. "No, not bad at all."

***

This bonding was the worse thing possible as far as Dean was concerned. Three months had gone by since they had sent Amitiel back to hell. Three months that had taught him a few things about his brother. 

One, Sam was a lot less emotional than Dean was. Sure, he used empathy to get people to talk to them, but half the time it was faked, a sort of polite concern and nothing more. Two, the world was black and white for his brother. He loved, he hated; things were good or bad. Dean always thought that Sam was the one who saw shades, but it wasn't true. Sam liked to argue about the gray, a sort of intellectual exercise, but he rarely felt the gray areas. He didn't wonder about the 'what ifs' and the 'I wish', at least not at an instinctual level. Three, Sam wasn't the eunuch Dean accused him to be. In fact, Sam was horny all too often, except he masked it beyond words like 'I don't do one-night stands' or 'I need a connection' and then he went and screwed Ruby's brain out. In conclusion, his brother was a Winchester who had learned the art of hypocrisy, but still a Winchester.

"What the hell is wrong with you now?" Sam said as he tossed his jacket on the chair.

Dean lowered the volume of the TV and turned his head to stare at his brother. "How's Ruby?"

"She's fine. We trained, we fucked, she asked for a threesome, but you know, the usual." 

That was the other thing. Now that he didn't have to pretend, neither did Sam, and all sorts of things came out of his mouth. "No, I didn't know the last one."

Sam laughed. "You must have not been paying attention. She says it every time she sees you."

"I try not to listen to her unless it leads to me killing something," Dean answered. Otherwise, he'd have to listen to her comments about Sam wanting to fuck him, and that was just not cool, because Sam couldn't possibly want that. 

"What's got you all twisted up now?"

"You know something? This is getting really annoying. Just because you know what I’m feeling, it doesn't mean we have to talk about it," Dean answered.

"So we do…what exactly? Do you want to go talk to your pals at the bar? Oh wait, we don't have any pals. We don't have anyone but each other." Sam planted himself on the couch, and grabbed the remote from Dean's hand. "So are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong. I was thinking about Ruby, that's all."

"What about her?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "Can't you let something go? Ever?"

"No, it could be important. Is this about a demon? Lilith?" Sam asked.

"No, this is about Ruby being a pain in the ass." Dean answered.

"That wouldn't affect you, because you've always known that she's a pain in the ass," Sam pointed out.

"I didn't always know that you bang her on a regular basis," Dean answered, hoping that it would shut Sam up, but of course, he was wrong.

"So that's what's bothering you? That I fuck?" Sam asked, incredulous. "I thought you wanted me to."

"I want you to fuck a woman, not a demon." How had they even gotten to this point? Dean didn't want to talk about it, didn't want to think about it and certainly didn't want to discuss threesomes with his brother, no matter what strange vibes he felt coming from Sam.

"So the problem is that I'm fucking a demon?" Sam tried again.

"Yes! No! I mean, I don't care as long as you remember that she'll stab you in the back when her agenda changes," Dean answered.

"But if you don't care, then why are you worrying?" Sam pressed on. "I mean if she doesn't worry you, and the fucking doesn't worry you, and nothing worries you, then there is something else, why won't you-"

Dean grabbed the front of Sam's shirt and pulled him closer until their lips met. The kiss lasted only a moment, before he drew back, staring at Sam with eyes wide with shock. He had never thought about shutting Sam up this way. He'd never crossed his mind before, and he blamed Ruby, because everything was her fault at the moment.

"What was that?" Sam asked after a moment.

"Your fault," Dean snapped back without thinking.

"How is this my fault?" Sam went on.

Dean opened him mouth, gaping like a fish, before closing it again. "We kiss and your problem is whose fault it is, do you know how fucked up that is?"

" _You_ kissed me," Sam insisted.

"Fine, I kissed you, but it's _your_ fault… and Ruby's. Let's not forget her," Dean said as he got up and began to pace.

"Again, how is that our fault?"

"Because she's been talking about you and me, and you… you send weird vibes, man," he answered.

That shut Sam up. "I'm- I don't know what to say."

Dean's head snapped up. "What do you mean? I was… not exactly joking, but you're supposed to tell me I'm insane, and I'm all fucked up with this bonding, and it's just because I haven't had time to get used to it like you have. You are not supposed to tell me that you have nothing to say; you always have something to say."

"You kiss me. You tell me I send weird vibes. You do everything and then expect me to say something. Well, I don't see that there is anything to say." Sam stared back in a silent challenge.

"No?" This was so surreal that made the rest of their lives seem normal. "I kissed you."

"Yes! I know, I was there," Sam says sarcastically.

"And that's it? You don't punch me; you don't get upset; you just sit there." Dean can't believe it.

Sam frowned. "Wait? Are you upset that I'm not upset?"

"I'm--" Dean threw his arms in the air. Truth was that he didn't know why he was upset. Worse, he didn't know why he had kissed Sam. And if that wasn't horrible enough, he didn't know why he wasn't upset about kissing Sam. He sat next to Sam, and looked at him, sighing. "Is it the bond?"

"I don't know what you asking, Dean."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Of course you don't. This- us- You can't tell me that you haven't seen the differences."

"What di--"

"If you pretend not to know, I'm going to fucking shave your head the moment you go sleep," Dean snapped back. "You know what I'm talking about. We are different."

Sam sighed. "Sit down. Please." He waited until Dean took a seat again, and even then he fidgeted with his hands in a way he hadn't done in months. "People have walls. It's natural. Even us, even with each other, we have barriers; it's what lets every person function, a sort of protection. The spell takes them away. We have nothing left to hide behind, so we're different, because we can do whatever we want."

"And what does that have to do with us kissing?" Dean asked. "Do you think we wanted to do it all along? Because I gotta tell you: I never felt the need to kiss a guy." There was a new wave of emotions from Sam and it took a few seconds to sort them out, and then Dean stared wide-eyed. "But you have."

Sam nodded. "There have been a few guys, not many. See, this is what I mean. There is nothing that we can hide from each other. I know everything you feel. I know how you react when you have sex. I know when you're really into someone or not. It's-"

"So, this is the spell," Dean said, interrupting him. "We kissed because of it."

"I don't know if I'd put it that way. I think, and I'm guessing here, that it's harder not to get close to someone when you know everything they feel."

"We've always been close," Dean said.

"Yeah, but you never wanted to kiss me before, did you?" Sam asked with a small smile.

"So, we're back to being the spell."

Sam shook his head. "No, not the way you mean it. The spell doesn't make us want to kiss. The spell makes all barriers disappear and I guess human nature does the rest."

"Yeah, that sounds like a fancy way to say that the spell makes us do it."

"Jesus, Dean," he snapped, before sighing. "The spell isn't making us do it, okay? You did it because you wanted to, because now you don't have to guess when I'm happy or sad or angry or a million more emotions, because you know exactly how I feel at ever moment. You aren't compelled to kiss me."

"So you're saying I did this to you on purposed, that I would-"

Sam grabbed the front of Dean's shirt and pulled him close for a kiss, and this time, Sam didn't let go, taking his time, pulling back only when he felt the panic coming from Dean disappear. "You can't make me do anything I don't want, Dean. Stop trying to protect me from you. I don't need it." Sam frowned. "You aren't paying attention."

"I was wondering if you always have the need to talk after you kiss someone," Dean said, innocently.

Sam laughed. "You're impossible, Dean."

"Nah, I just think sex is more important than talking." The moment the sentence was out, Dean froze. The air chilled around them. He looked at Sam, not knowing what to say or do. Why was there never a demon in sight when you needed it?"

"Breathe. Dean, start breathing and stop worrying," Sam said softly. "You didn't mean it; it was just a joke."

Dean blinked and looked at Sam. "What if I did? I mean, it's not like I ever thought about kissing you before. What if I start thinking about- more?"

Sam shrugged. "Would it be so bad?"

The panic turned into annoyance, and Dean smacked the back of Sam's head. "So bad? Are you out of your fucking mind, Sam?"

"No… I mean, it's not unreasonable considering our situation. We brought empathy to a whole different meaning, and we were close before."

"And Ruby keeps saying that you want me ass."

"She said before the spell," Sam pointed out, and it was his turn to freeze.

"Did you?" Dean asked with a frown. 

"No! No… of course not. Maybe I had some thoughts when we were younger, but I was a kid and you were the only one around, and… you're hot, right?"

Dean didn't let himself be distracted by the cheap opening, and there was no stupid line. "Sammy, we can't-"

"Let's go out." Sam got up, without waiting for an answer. "College town, there's gotta be a few decent clubs we can go."

Dean stood as well. "Can you let me finish a sentence?"

"What is there to finish, Dean?" Sam asked, annoyed. "We can't, it's not right, it's immoral, it's sinful, it's incest, it's illegal, it's wrong, and what would dad say? Did I get it right, Dean? Because I know all of that, and you know what, we've done plenty of things that aren't right, but that are sinful and certainly illegal, possibly immoral, and we haven't cared before. So fine, we can't, but you know what? It's inevitable, because this bond gets stronger and stronger. I can feel the difference from the beginning. It was just sensations before and with each passing day, I know better and better what you're feeling. If it keeps going like this, I won't be able to tell what's you and what's me, so yeah, hide behind your excuses, but you are the one who kissed me, and--"

Never in his life, Dean had thought that he'd find a way to shut his brother up, but he was wrong. The moment he pulled Sam closer and kissed him, the fight seeped out of Sam, and Dean could feel contentment and confusion, and he shared the sentiment completely. "I don't know what I'm doing either, Sammy."

Sam smiled. "Oh, I know. You're doing what feels right. No walls to hide behind." He grabbed Dean's hips and pulled him closer. They stood there, watching for a moment and Sam hesitated, but Dean beat him to it.

"We're moving this to the bed. I'm not looking up like some chick while we make out," he said, grinning at the smile he got in return. 

"I like your plan, except… I hope there's more than making out."

Dean couldn't tell if the flare of lust came from him or Sam, or maybe both. "Yeah--" He cleared his throat. He couldn't believe that they were doing this. It made no sense, and yet when Sam explained it, it seemed so natural and right, and Dean was tired of fighting the inevitable.

"Dean, we don't have to," Sam said, softly.

"I kinda want to." Dean looked square in Sam's eyes. He didn't want any misunderstandings or any way outs for either one of them and that's why he added. "If that's what you want."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I want to."

"Can we stop talking and move to the fun part?"

That was all he needed to say to get Sam moving. Dean wasn't sure if Sam used his powers or was just in a rush, but their clothes disappeared faster than Dean thought it possible. However when they got to the bed (and this time Dean was sure that Sam had used his powers, because he hadn't learned to levitate in the past ten minutes), the mood changed again, Sam was almost reverent, none of hunger Dean had seen with Ruby.

"I'm not a girl, you dickhead."

"No, Dean, you're… everything, have been all my life."

"I know, Sammy. Same here," Dean answered with a smile. "I'm still not a girl."

Sam laughed as he kissed him, but of course, didn't listen. Sam took his time nipping and licking, and Dean was sure that his brother had taken some college course about kissing, because no one could have so much patience - well, Dean couldn't, because after fifteen minutes, he was still there, panting, his cock hard and leaking without even being touching. "Sammy…"

"God, Dean. I can feel everything you do, it's… it's-"

"Frustrating. Fuck, Sam, you're driving me insane." He rolled them over and lay on top of Sam. "Now, we do things my way."

"Wham, bang, thank you, ma'am," Sam said, teasing.

"Hell yeah." Dean pressed his cock Sam's, and grinned. "I don't think you disagree either." Of course that brought him to a stop because until now he hadn't thought about the mechanics. He'd been so lost in Sammy that the rest had disappeared, but now-- "There's two cocks."

Sam laughed again. "Yeah, Dean, I know. I'm rather attached to mine, and I've seen yours once or twice." He turned his head, and a bottle came flying into his hand. "Here, you can fuck me."

Dean took the lotion, but then shook his head. "No, you're fucking me." He watched the raised eyebrow, but refused to explain that he'd be too worried about getting things right, about making this the best it could be for Sammy, about not fucking up to enjoying this. He just shook his head again. "There's a condom in my wallet you can use," he added, because Sam didn't seem to bother with condoms, but Ruby was living inside a dead body, so he guessed that condoms weren't necessary.

The wallet flew in their direction, and Sam grabbed it in the air, before taking out the condom. "Are you sure, Dean?"

"Yeah, but I swear if you don't do something and soon, I'm jerking off," he threatened, but they both knew that there was a slice of doubt and maybe some fear.

"On your back, Dean." Sam waited and then knelt between Dean's legs. They locked eyes, and everything stopped. There was no more Dean and Sam, but as Sam prepped him, every sensation and feeling bounced back and forth inside them until they were one. They could feel as one, and it took Dean's breath away.

"Can you feel it?" Sam asked in awe.

Dean nodded. "Did you know?"

Sam shook his head. "I wonder--" He didn't finish the sentence, but they both knew what he meant. He wondered if it got better once he was inside, once they fucked, but he opened Dean up slowly.

"Enough! You know I'm ready. Come on, Sammy."

Sam licked his lips, and then pressed inside. "Fuck--" They had their answer as the entire world seemed to disappear, until it was just the two of them. Their hearts began beating in unison, resonating inside their minds. Sensation and emotions melted into one, building up as they moved, merging completely as they came at the exact same moment.

Dean lay there, panting for a moment, and then, "What the hell was that?"

"No idea," Sam answered.

"Do we worry?" Too bad, he couldn't feel a drop of worry from either one of them.

"I'm--" He concentrated and watched the lamp move around. "I'm fine; powers are fine. They seem… I don't know, stronger, maybe, but maybe it's my imagination."

"Check with Ruby, okay?" 

"Yeah, okay, but I'm fine, and the spell feels … right, for lack of better word," Sam reassured him.

"So we don't worry. Is it always going to be like this?" Dean asked.

"How the hell should I know? It's not like a found a special section - Bonding: When Done Between Brothers. Section Three: effects on incest." Sam huffed, annoyed. "I don't know."

Dean grinned. "I guess we'll have to do it again and find out." 

"You're an idiot," Sam muttered as he rolled away and took the condom off.

"Do you have a better idea, genius boy?"

Sam lay back down, rolling to his side to watch Dean. "Nope, we'll have to go with yours."

"Nap first, though." Dean turned his head to stare at Sam. "You're still okay with this, right?"

"You know the answer to that, Dean. Just listen to what you feel."

Dean smiled, brightly, knowing that he looked about ten when he did that, which was the reason why he tried not to. "Okay then." He turned around on his belly, hugging his pillow. He didn't complain when Sam swung an arm around and cuddled up against him. He'd worry about it later, after his nap.

***

Bobby had met Ruby outside of Salt Lake City just hours ago and they had spent the night going over possible battle plans. They were getting ready to go after Lilith. Not just them, but every hunter who had survived the attacks of the past months had finally agreed to join them. It was something that Ruby and Bobby had done together, keeping it from the boys. They had their own problems, and Dean wouldn't have liked it.

"You could pay attention to my plan instead of sitting there, smiling," he said calmly, not forgetting that the pretty little thing sitting across the table from him was a few century old demon who could crush him without breaking a nail.

"What do you know about twin flames?" she asked, instead.

Bobby sighed, but thought about what she was asking. "Twin flames are soulmates, the other half of our soul. There is only one twin, and generally after being split the two go their separate ways, incarnating over and over to gather human experience before coming back together. Ideally, this happens in both of their last lifetimes on the planet so they can ascend together."

Ruby nodded. "Exactly. People usually think of a man and a woman, but that's not always the case. What people forget is that twin flames can become truly a force of nature when they find each other."

"And how does this help us?" Bobby asked.

She smiled. "I think they finally found each other."

Bobby frowned and then shook his head. "It can't be."

"But it can. Didn't you wonder why everyone was so keen in killing Dean when Sam was the one with the powers?" She sighed happily. "Dean just made Sam impossible to beat." All her work had finally paid off.

***

Dean finished packing, but his eyes kept going on the one bed that had been used the night before. The room reeked of sex and the sheets more than showed what they had been done on that bed. Sam kept stealing glances his way when he thought Dean wasn't looking, not that it matter because Dean could feel the hesitation and determination. "You're not going to piss on me."

Sam frowned. "What?"

"Just because we fucked, you aren't going to have a claim or some stupid, romantic shit like that," Dean said.

Sam laughed. "Dean, I staked a claim when I did the bonding. I don't need to do that again."

"So what are you worrying about?" Dean asked.

"If you're all right," Sam said softly. "That's all."

That was when it hit him. Sam didn't have any doubts about them. His Sammy saw things in black and white, and he had decided the night before that this was okay. There were no regrets or doubts. Even more surprising, it was the fact that Dean didn't have to 'feel' any of that. He just knew, because he knew his brother in a way that no one else did. "I'm all right if you are."

Sam nodded, while smiling brightly. "I'm fine."

"Then we're fine." No one else would understand or agree with them, but it didn't matter. Their lives had been shaped by the supernatural, the things that didn't exist. They lived by a different moral code. A demon had ensured that their lives would forever be intertwined. A spell had united their soul. Their love for each other made them who they were. Dean was just fine with that. He looked at Sam and grinned. "Now, grab your stuff. We got demons to kill."

Everything had changed and yet everything had stayed the same.


End file.
